Now that June is practically behind us, Pokemon Go developer Niantic has shared the first details for the game’s next Community Day. Next month’s event will take place on Sunday, July 21, and this time around, the featured Pokemon will be another starter from Ruby and Sapphire: Mudkip.
Throughout July’s Community Day, Mudkip will appear in the wild much more frequently than it normally does, making this a good opportunity to stock up on Mudkip Candy. You’ll also have your first opportunity to catch a Shiny Mudkip during the event, and any Mudkip you evolve all the way into its final form, Swampert, up to an hour after the Community Day ends will know an event-exclusive move it couldn’t otherwise learn in the game, although Niantic hasn’t announced what that is yet.
On top of increased Mudkip spawns, Niantic is offering a couple of bonuses during July’s Community Day as well. As usual, any Lure Module you use during the event will remain active for three hours rather than their usual 30 minutes. Additionally, you’ll earn triple the usual amount of XP for capturing Pokemon. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon website.
Like previous events, July’s Community Day will run for three hours. However, this time around, the event will take place a little later in the day, from 4-7 PM local time, when the weather is a little cooler. As Niantic explained, “As part of our continuing effort to make events accessible to as many people as possible, we hope this new time creates an even better Community Day experience overall.” The developer says it’ll revert back to the traditional Community Day hours when summer ends.
July’s Community Day is still a few weeks away, but there’s a lot happening in Pokemon Go in the meantime. The Legendary Kyogre is leaving Raid Battles on June 27, when Groudon is set to return. Both Legendaries will also be available through July’s new Field Research tasks, as will Shiny Spinda. Speed Forme Deoxys has also begun appearing in EX Raids, and Niantic is bringing Raikou back for a special Raid Day on June 29.
During Bethesda’s E3 2019 press conference, we learned about a new expansion coming to Fallout 76. The Wastelanders DLC doesn’t land until this fall, but the online action-RPG has received a new update for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One that addresses a variety of issues, including graphics, loot, performance, and more.
Patch 10.5 went live Tuesday, June 25, and is a little under 3GB on console and 1GB on PC. The fixes are geared toward all game modes, with a handful specifically targeting Nuclear Winter, a battle royale beta mode which has seen an extension.
Bethesda has outlined several fixes in the graphics department, like changing the blocky appearance of some shadows, dealing with visual corruptions on the Storm wall, and making adjustments to the Power Armor’s headlamp eye color. Additionally, lighting inside Vault 51 is brighter, which should make navigation more manageable.
Loot has seen some alterations as well, such as adjustments to the rate of supply crates, changes to where automatic combat rifles can be found, and the ability to mark certain items as favorites in the Atomic Shop. Magazines have also been flipped over, making it easier to identify the magazine type.
Fallout 76 patches have continuously addressed performance issues, and patch 10.5 is no different. The update improves C.A.M.P. load times when connecting to a world and after fast travel, fixes crashes that occur during certain activities like fast traveling, and reduces server disconnections after finding a Nuclear Winter match.
Underarmor: Players can now favorite one Underarmor in the Atomic Shop for use in Nuclear Winter, in addition to one Headwear item and one Outfit.
Automatic Combat Rifles: Can now be found in Small Supply Crates rather than pre-existing containers in the world.
Submachine Guns: Can now be found in Medium Supply Crates rather than Small Supply Crates.
Supply Crates: Adjusted Supply Crate density in a few areas where more Crates were spawning than intended.
Perks
Dead Man Sprinting: This Perk previously was not applying its effects correctly and has been redesigned. Dead Man Sprinting now causes Action Points to drain 25% slower while under 30% HP.
Overseer Progression
Terminals: New entries have been added to ZAX Terminals that can be unlocked by reaching Overseer Rank 100.
User Interface
Tutorials: A “More Info” button has been added to the Nuclear Winter Perk Card menu, which can be used to re-open the Perk Card tutorial.
Adventure and Survival Bug Fixes
Art and Graphics
Power Armor: Sections of the Power Armor Chassis are no longer visible through the Black Rider Power Armor paint, and the paint’s headlamp eye color has been adjusted.
Power Armor: Pieces of rebar no longer obstruct the player’s view when wielding a heavy weapon in first-person perspective while wearing Power Armor with the Inferno Mk1, Mk2, or Mk3 paint.
Shadows: Addressed an issue that could cause character shadows to appear blocky.
Weapons: The First Responder’s Pump-Action Shotgun Paint will now correctly apply to Silencer mods.
C.A.M.P., Crafting, and Workshops
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could allow items in Player Vending Machines to be duplicated.
Signs: Fixed an issue preventing the Red Rocket Mega Sign from taking damage from subsequent player attacks after the first.
Perks
Gun Fu: V.A.T.S. no longer automatically closes after killing an enemy while the Gun Fu Perk Card is equipped.
Performance and Stability
Performance: Improved C.A.M.P. load times when connecting to a world and after Fast Traveling.
Stability: On PC, attempting to Fast Travel from one active Event to another no longer sometimes causes the game client to crash.
Stability: Addressed a rare crash that could occur when Fast Traveling or loading into a world.
Stability: Fixed rare crash that could occur when clicking on a Wanted teammate’s Map marker.
Quests and Events
Operation Tidy: Players can once again speak to Scout Leader Pompy to start the Operation Tidy Daily Quest.
User Interface
Character Creation: Being removed from a world due to inactivity while creating a new character no longer causes portions of the UI to disappear upon joining a new world.
Nuclear Winter Bug Fixes
Art and Graphics
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could be used to disable grasses and shrubs during Nuclear Winter matches.
Graphics: Grasses beyond the sear line no longer appear to fade out when a player spawns nearby.
Graphics: Fixed a graphical corruption that could appear on the Storm wall during Storm constrictions.
Lighting: Vault 51’s interior is now a bit brighter, which should make it easier to see who is practicing their boxing skills on you before a match begins.
C.A.M.P.S
Blueprints: Players can now place Blueprints in Nuclear Winter that normally require the Home Defense or Science Perks in other game modes. However, all objects a Blueprint contains that require those Perks, such as Turrets or Traps, will be removed on placement during a Nuclear Winter match.
Blueprints: Perk requirements, such as Home Defense or Science, no longer appear when attempting to place a Blueprint in Nuclear Winter.
Build Menu: Water, Food, and Resources tabs no longer appear in the Build menu during Nuclear Winter matches.
Challenges
Combat: Nuclear Winter “Complete Matches” challenge descriptions have been updated to “Stay in matches until the end” to help clarify the objective.
Daily: Nuclear Winter Daily Challenges can no longer be completed more than once per day and Daily Challenges have been re-enabled.
Creatures
Mirelurks: No longer get stuck in the trees after spawning at New River Gorge Resort.
Hazards
Rad Barrels: Now more consistently apply Rads to nearby Candidates.
Perks
Items
Headwear: The Stalker Bandana, Stalker Goggles, Wasteland Trapper Mask, and Wasteland Trapper Hat, can now correctly be marked as Favorites in the Atomic Shop for use in Nuclear Winter in addition to Outfits like the Elder’s Battlecoat.
Holotapes: Vault 51 Holotapes can no longer be placed in containers.
Item Spawns: Removed a location where it was possible for a Bowie Knife to spawn, as this weapon is not intended to be available in Nuclear Winter.
Magazines: Flipped over a few Magazines that previously appeared face-down.
Magazines: The duration of the AP reduction effect applied by “Scouts Life #8” has been increased from 30 minutes to 1 hour, which is consistent with other Nuclear Winter Magazine effects.
Power Armor: Looking away from a downed teammate while attempting to revive them no longer causes the reviving player to exit their Power Armor.
Power Armor: Holding to revive a teammate while wearing Power Armor no longer causes the controls to become unresponsive.
Performance and Stability
Disconnects: Implemented an improvement to reduce cases where players may be disconnected from a server immediately after finding a Nuclear Winter match.
Disconnects: Repeatedly adding and removing players from a team no longer cause those players to be disconnected.
Performance: Objects placed with C.A.M.P.s no longer cause hitching when they are destroyed by the Storm.
Stability: Fixed a crash that could occur when returning to the Main Menu from Nuclear Winter’s spectator mode.
Stability: Addressed an issue that could cause a server to crash at the end of a Nuclear Winter match.
Stability: Fixed a pair of crashes that could occur while in Nuclear Winter’s spectator mode.
User Interface
Compass: Fixed an issue that could cause the Compass to display false teammate markers.
Compass: Machinegun Turret markers in the Compass no longer appear hostile toward player who placed them.
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could allow a player to obtain a weapon inside of Vault 51.
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could allow a player to remain inside of Vault 51 rather than loading into a match with the other Candidates.
Favorites: Players can no longer mark Nuclear Launch Codes as Favorites.
HUD: On Xbox, fixed a rare issue that could cause non-functional UI elements to appear and persist during a match under specific circumstances.
Localization: Notification text that appears after launching a Nuke is now correctly translated in the Russian version of the game client.
Localization: The word “Overseer” that appears on duplicate Perk Cards no longer has missing characters in the Japanese version of the game client.
Localization: Text is no longer truncated on the Nuclear Winter “More Info” page in non-English versions of the game client.
Map: The boundaries of the Storm now correctly display on the Map when the Storm constricts.
Match Results: Fixed an issue that could prevent the player’s match placement from appearing on the match results screen.
Match Results: Progression rewards the player has already earned no longer appear in the “Upcoming Rewards” section of the match results screen.
Match Results: Launching a Nuke via the Pip-Boy or Favorites menu after winning a match no longer prevents the match results screen from displaying.
Notifications: “Follow leader to new world” and “Searching for world” notifications no longer persist for players who decline to join their team leader in an Adventure Mode world after quitting Nuclear Winter.
Perk Menu: Fixed an issue that could cause the Perk Menu to become unresponsive when managing Perk Card selections.
Photomode: Nuclear Winter Photomode Frames now correctly display the Atomic Shop logo when viewed in Photomode.
Quick C.A.M.P. Kits: When attempting to place a Quick C.A.M.P. Kit, the Build menu now correctly opens to and highlights the selected Kit.
Quick C.A.M.P. Kits: Fixed an issue in which the Quick-Boy UI could visually persist while attempting to place a Quick C.A.M.P. Kit.
Spectator Mode: At the end of a match, a banner now appears for Spectators indicating who won.
Spectator Mode: The game camera no longer zooms for Spectators when the player they are watching looks down a weapon’s sights.
Spectator Mode: The Red Skull icon that marks a player’s death location will no longer appear for the player who was killed. Instead, it will only appear for their teammates.
Stats: When the final enemy on a team is killed while all of their teammates are in the downed state, the kill credit for the downed enemies will be awarded to the player who originally downed them as long as that player is still alive.
Terminals: Removed a blank second page from a Terminal entry in Vault 51.
Tutorials: Added several missing tutorials to Nuclear Winter.
Target is offering deep discounts on games this week to encourage use of its in-store pickup feature. The 30% off is a sweet deal if you can make it out to a store, but if you’re not near a Target or just don’t feel like making the trip, Amazon is price-matching many of the same deals. And since it’s Amazon, you don’t need to go anywhere. The result is some great deals on games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
To take advantage of the Target deals, you’ll need to order online and select “Order Pickup” at checkout. The feature lets you swing by a Target store and grab your purchase at the customer service area. If you don’t mind waiting a few days, though, you can get many of the same deals through Amazon.
There is one wrinkle, though. Amazon’s sale price doesn’t reflect the discount price, but many of the games have coupons and other promotions that take off the difference and match Target’s sale prices. Some promotional prices are automatically applied at checkout, while others require you to click on a coupon to apply it. While you’re at Amazon, you can also get a Fat Black Chocobo for Final Fantasy 14 with any purchase over $20.
The sale includes Devil May Cry 5 for $35, Kingdom Hearts 3 for $24.50, and Metro Exodus for $35, among many others. Which store you use depends on whether you want to get the games now or later, because the prices will be the same.
Check out the full list of eligible games at Target and Amazon should be matching them. If you find any deals that aren’t matched, you may be able to score the deal by contacting Amazon customer service. The Target promotion ends after June 29, which presumably means Amazon will stop then too. But more discounts are coming soon, since Amazon has announced the dates for its annual Prime Day promotion.
The Pokemon Company capped off its Pokemon 2019 Press Conference last month with the reveal of Pokemon Masters, a brand-new smartphone game developed in collaboration with DeNA (the studio behind Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour, and most of Nintendo’s other mobile titles). Few details about the game were shared at the time, but we’ll soon get another look at it thanks to a special livestream presentation happening this week.
The stream is scheduled to air tomorrow, June 27, and will run for roughly eight minutes, offering the first new details about Pokemon Masters since it was announced. If you’re eager to learn more about the anticipated title, here’s when and where you can tune into the stream, as well as what you can expect to see.
What Time Does The Pokemon Masters Livestream Start?
The Pokemon Masters stream airs this Thursday, June 27. In the US, the stream will begin at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. That equates to 2 PM BST for fans in the UK. Those in Australia, meanwhile, will need to stay up late in order to tune in, as the stream won’t begin until 11 PM AEST.
6 AM PT
9 AM ET
2 PM BST
11 PM AEST
Where To Watch
The Pokemon Company will broadcast the Pokemon Masters stream on its official YouTube channel. You’ll also be able to watch it right here on GameSpot using the video embed below, so you can bookmark this page and tune in when the time comes to watch the stream unfold.
What To Expect
We’ve only gotten a brief look at Pokemon Masters thus far, so Thursday’s stream will presumably offer much more insight into the gameplay loop and what you’ll be able to expect from the overall experience. We already know Pokemon Masters will feature a wide assortment of the series’ most notable trainers, and that you’ll be able to battle alongside them in three-on-three contests. However, it’s unclear how the battle system will work or how you’ll be able to build your own Pokemon team. Will battles play out similarly to mainline titles, or offer more simplified mechanics? And will you be able to catch new Pokemon? These questions will likely be cleared up.
We’ll also likely get a look at more of the trainers you’ll be able to encounter in the game. We’ve already seen a handful of them. In the brief footage the Pokemon Company showed off during last month’s press conference, we saw former Pokemon Champion Blue, as well as Brock, Misty, Cynthia, and Steven Stone, while the key art that longtime Pokemon artist Ken Sugimori drew also features Red, Lance, and a few newer characters, including Diantha (the champion from Pokemon X and Y) and the female heroine of Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. That’s likely only scratching the surface of the game’s roster, and it’s a safe bet we’ll see more fan-favorite characters during tomorrow’s stream.
Super Mario Maker 2’s release date is fast approaching. The game launches for Nintendo Switch in just a few days, and now reviews for the platforming game have started to hit the internet.
GameSpot’s Super Mario Maker 2 review-in-progress awards the game an 8/10, with Peter Brown stating “the Mario series is worth all the admiration it gets.” You can check out much more on the game in the selection of reviews below. Alternatively, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for a wider view on the game’s critical reception.
“With the story mode and dozens of custom-built stages under my belt, I’m anxiously waiting for the floodgates to open upon Mario Maker’s 2 release. What I’ve played so far has proven, once again, that the Mario series is worth all the admiration it gets, and Mario Maker 2 is an excellent tool for picking it apart by pushing its enemies, mechanisms, and Mario, to their limit. I’ve yet to make a stage of my own that I think is worthy of sending out to other players, but I’m committed to getting there. Whether exploring the full potential of a single element or throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, I’ve got the itch to join the creator’s club. And thankfully, even if you aren’t an instant success (like me), Mario Maker 2 makes the learning process intuitive and enjoyable.” — Peter Brown [Full review-in-progress]
IGN — 9.5/10
“Super Mario Maker 2 is the most accessible game design tool ever created, and that core is just one part of a greater whole. I spent hours building levels, testing them, and starting over again, and I feel like I’ve only barely scratched the surface of what’s possible. The Story Mode has a basic story, sure, but it’s still a great excuse to introduce hundreds of novel, professionally made levels to play. Its design tutorials are so much more in depth than they ever needed to be, and you can take them or leave them as you see fit. Super Mario Maker 2 affords so much freedom in how you play, how you make, and even how you learn, it’s astonishing how incredibly well it’s all held together in one cohesive package.” — Seth G Macy [Full review]
Eurogamer — Recommended
“Like the first game, this is a warm bubble bath to settle into, or an afternoon on the sofa with the Sunday papers and nothing else in the diary. Has it changed? Not too much. But it is wonderfully soothing to have it back.” — Christian Donlan [Full review]
Game Informer — 8.75/10
“Super Mario Maker 2 is not a radical reinvention of the original Mario Maker, but it earns the “2” in its title with a story mode full of great Mario levels, worthwhile additions to the creation toolset, and new options for playing and creating cooperatively. The future is bright for Super Mario Maker 2, and I can’t wait to see what the community makes with it. But even at this starting line, I had plenty of Mario to play and enjoy.” — Kyle Hilliard [Full review]
US Gamer — 4.5/5
“Players now have the chance to make their own hellish, evil Mario levels on Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Maker 2 starts with the foundation established in the first game, and adds new themes, new game styles, and new items. It falters due to the loss of the second screen of the Wii U and 3DS iterations, and the lack of Amiibo costumes hurt, but this is still a fantastic package for a Mario fan or budding lever designer.” — Mike Williams [Full review]
Video Games Chronicle — 5/5
“For 2D Mario fans, Super Mario Maker 2 is a classic in the making. There’s already a consistently surprising and delightful offering at launch for creators and non-creators alike, but we suspect this sequel will continue to impress–and improve–well into the future.” — Andy Robinson [Full review]
Final Fantasy XIV‘s Shadowbringers expansion launches for PS4 and PC in just a few days, and developer Square Enix has now revealed the expansion’s full patch notes for the accompanying 5.0 update.
The update will add two new cities, The Crystarium and Eulmore, as well as new field areas Lakeland, Kholusia, Amh Araeng, Il Mheg, and The Rak’tika Greatwood. Main scenario quests will of course be included, along with “myriad” side quests. Notably, those side quests will utilize a new “automatic level adjust system known as quest sync.” Square Enix says the new side quests “will have their difficulty and EXP rewards adjusted to match your current level.”
Plenty more content will be added in the 5.0 update, though Square Enix says some Shadowbringers features are being withheld until future patches. The Eden’s Gate raid will be added in version 5.01, for example, while a New Game+ mode will land in update “5.1 or later.”
For the full patch notes, you can check out the Final Fantasy XIV blog. You can also take a look at our list of Shadowbringers’ biggest changes for FFXIV. Also bear in mind you can grab a previous Final Fantasy XIV expansion for free right now. That promotion is to celebrate the impending release of Shadowbringers, which launches on July 2 and enters early access on June 28 for those who pre-order. On PS4, the expansion costs $40 / £37 / AU $68, while PC players will need to fork out $40 / £30 / AU $60 for the standard edition.
IO Interactive has released its first DLC location for Hitman 2. The new level, named The Bank, is set in New York City, and it’s out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The location also comes with a new campaign mission called Golden Handshake, along with accompanying special contracts. In addition, the DLC pack includes new challenges, trophies/achievements, and mastery progression levels, as well as the corresponding rewards.
The Bank is included in Hitman 2’s expansion pass, which costs $40 / £32.79 / AU $60. However, the add-on is not available to purchase by itself–you’ll need to fork out for the expansion pass if you want to play it.
Hitman 2 launched in November to a positive critical reception. We liked Agent 47’s latest outing, with critic Edmond Tran awarding the game an 8/10 in our Hitman 2 review. “The addition of other minor mechanical changes–like concussive weapons, a picture-in-picture enemy activity alert, and visible security camera sightlines–help to improve Hitman 2 overall as a dense and accessible stealth assassination game,” he wrote.
“But the new locations are the real stars, impressive and inventive sandboxes ripe for picking apart with exciting experiments. Hitman is about experiencing the anticipation of seeing whether a plan will work when you try it for the first time. It’s about feeling the tension of briskly walking away from a bad situation, hoping you can lose the suspicious guards. It’s the satisfaction of knowing the machinations of a level so well that when a target moves into a particular place at a particular time, you have the perfect way to intervene. Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength.”
Most of Marvel’s crossover events have a tendency to start strong and then steadily lose momentum and focus over time. War of the realms has been far different. For most of its run, this miniseries has fallen well short of the (admittedly high) standard set by Jason Aaron’s Thor run. Too much empty spectacle and too little emphasis on the core Thor cast. But that changes in a big way in the final issue. War of the Realms #6 is a terrific finish to a previously underwhelming Thor tale.
It’s not difficult to spot the difference between issue #6 and the previous chapters. Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman keep the majority of this issue focused squarely on Thor and his fellow hammer-wielders – King Thor, Young Thor and even a re-empowered Jane Foster. The Avengers make small appearances here, but one the whole this issue is far more directed and focused than any chapter before it. That’s one big reason why the finale connects on such a deeper level.
Sony has revealed the games PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download for free in July. The first is something for the sports fans out there: Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, while the second is Horizon Chase Turbo, which is described on the PlayStation Blog as “a love-letter to the iconic, just-one-more-go racers of the arcade’s golden age.”
While Horizon Chase Turbo may not be familiar to you, it’s available at no additional cost if you’re already paying for PlayStation Plus, so worth taking a shot on anyway. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, on the other hand, will no doubt be familiar to you. The latest entry in Konami’s beloved soccer sim series is also one of its best and earned a 9/10 in our review.
“For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it’s fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red,” said Richard Wakeling. “The lack of licences for top-tier leagues remains a disheartening sticking point, but PES continues to make brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time.
“It might be lacking off the pitch, but put it on the field against the competition and a famous giant killing wouldn’t be all that surprising.” Read our full PES 2019 review for a detailed analysis of the game.
The announcement of July’s titles means time is running out to claim June’s free PlayStation Plus titles, which are Borderlands: The Handsome Collection and Sonic Mania. After July 1, these two games will no longer be available to download. PES 2019 and Horizon Chase Turbo will be available for free from July 2 until August 5.
July 2019 PlayStation Plus Games For PS4
Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (July 2 – August 5)
Sonic Mania (July 2 – August 5)
Konami has announced the next game in the series, which has the odd title of “eFootball PES 2020.” The game is expected to launch on September 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
While Luigi will no doubt remain in the shadow of his spotlight-hogging brother, Mario, the little-plumber-that-occasionally-could has had something of an increase in popularity of late. Given that there was an entire year of Nintendo games and marketing dedicated to him in 2013, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but he’s also become a bit bolder as a character recently–who can forget the gifs of him giving dagger eyes to fellow racers as he passed them by in Mario Kart 8?
Luigi’s Mansion 3 allows the lanky green boy to continue his side-hustle as an exorcist and ghost hunter but puts him up against his greatest challenge yet: an entire hotel full of ghouls to be vacuumed and vanquished. This time Mario and the gang have been captured, and it’s up to him to free them and save the day. This will require bravery the likes of which Luigi has never shown before, so could it also be a turning point in his life? Will we get a self-assured, composed Luigi on the other side?
That’s one of the questions we posed to Kensuke Tanabe, producer of Luigi’s Mansion 3, and the game’s supervisor, Yoshihito Ikebata. We also discussed the surprising popularity of the character and what distinguishes him from Mario, as well as how moving to a hotel changes the ghost hunting experience, and Nintendo’s thinking on DLC for the game.
GameSpot: During the presentation, you mentioned the Luigi’s Mansion games have done really well. Was that a surprise to you?
Tanabe: I was genuinely surprised to see so many people so excited about this game. There was a very long gap in the time between the first and second game coming out, but the fact that the third one came out pretty much right away must have something to do with the fact that it was so popular. So, right now we’re talking to [Luigi’s Mansion 3 developer] Next Level Games, trying to get more out of the game; creating a more fun game featuring Luigi.
Do you think that Luigi as a character is now more relatable to the common person? Everyone loves Mario but he’s a hero beyond reach. He rescued the princess many times, he’s been to outer space, and done all sorts of wild stuff. Luigi is still just the scared younger brother. Would you say that Luigi’s more popular and relatable than Mario?
Tanabe: Yeah, we agree with you exactly. Mario is just basically the hero, someone to look up to, an inspiration. Whereas Luigi is someone who [people can feel] closer to and I think that’s a part of his charm.
How does that translate to designing a game? In a lot of games, you want to fulfill the fantasy of being a hero, but Luigi is scared a lot of time. And he achieves things, but he rarely has the same kind of triumph moment.
Tanabe: Were you able to play the game?
Yeah, I played it.
Tanabe: So you saw things like [the] slam?
[Editor’s note: The slam is an ability Luigi has that allows him to grab enemy ghosts, wrangle them, and then slam them into the ground to do damage.]
Yeah. But when he does it, he seems like he’s kind of terrified the entire time and scared of doing it. He never quite looks confident–even three games in.
Tanabe: Well, that’s exactly it. In terms of the gameplay and how it feels like to the user, that’s something we really focus on [to] let the player feel good when they play the game. So, in animating Luigi himself, we want to keep it very Luigi-like. Even if Luigi’s terrified, if the player can [be] satisfied by doing these actions, I think they will feel satisfied.
What was it about a hotel setting that intrigued you?
Tanabe: Simply put, I just really wanted a different atmosphere. In addition to that, structurally speaking, in Luigi’s Mansion, I really wanted a bunch of the rooms to be interconnected with each other and then have the users visualize that in their minds and make that into a game plan in itself. But, when that’s kind of stacked up vertically, it becomes kind of difficult to make that very clear.
But, when it’s a hotel, it’s very obvious, very easy to visualize. The other thing we wanted to do was to give it a different theme and atmosphere for each of the floors and that’s what was facilitated by choosing this.
Do you find it harder to create a consistent atmosphere? Because, as you go from levels that are drastically different in theme, you’re almost resetting everything. How do you approach making sure that it’s still spooky throughout while also having to start over each time you move up a floor?
Ikebata: Actually, because it’s a hotel, it was very easy to come up with completely different atmospheres for each floor. We always had a thing from the perspective of the user, for the players who are going to play it, it’s like, “How can we surprise them, how can we keep them kind of anticipating something new each time?” It’s really all about the art style. So, by unifying the artistic look and feel of the entire thing, you’re able to kind of maintain that same feel.
Did you do any actual research to go to spooky, haunted hotels? There’s a few in LA. Did you try any of them? Because the Ghostbusters hotel is down the road, The Millennium Biltmore.
Tanabe: Oh man! Had we known about that haunted house, we totally would have gone. Unfortunately, we didn’t think to do that.
Randomizing levels in multiplayer is interesting. What was the thinking behind that?
Tanabe: Because you can play with a lot of people, say four, they can all be in the same room at once if they want to, but it does kind of slow down the pace. Whereas everyone can be dispersed but then they also need to be able to come back together. They’re about to battle a bunch of ghosts.
With that in mind, even though the rooms are randomly generated, we want to make sure people are able to come back together if they have to. Just making the layout so that it facilitates that was something I had in mind so we were sure to let Next Level Games know that was something that needs to happen.
Could this game be a moment of decisive change for Luigi as a character? Because Mario is trapped and all of their friends are trapped. We’ve got a game where Luigi rescues Mario, and if that is the case, is there a chance that he perhaps becomes more self-assured as a character? I think a lot of Luigi fans want to see that, if only for their own confidence.
Tanabe: That’s a great observation because that is exactly the reason why we wanted to have the whole gang in there. He’s going to rescue Mario. It’s good.
I think it’s time Luigi was no longer a coward and I think he’s proved himself enough times that he should get a little bit of a confidence level up.
Tanabe: Sure. But, he’s scared still.
A couple of years ago we had gifs of Luigi in Mario Kart looking at everyone very angrily and it seems like everything’s building for him to finally push Mario out of the way.
Tanabe: [Laughs] I think Mario is a traditional hero type whereas Luigi is Luigi. We think that, regardless, he’ll go in his own direction.
It was also mentioned during the presentation that Luigi as a character, and also his games as a whole, appeal to a much broader audience than you’d expect. Specifically, women were mentioned as liking Luigi more than Mario. Why do you think that is?
Tanabe: Well, I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s what we said earlier about the fact that he’s not a traditional hero and is [therefore] a little bit closer to us, and I think the fact that you can kind of empathize with him might be what it is.
Structurally, how many levels can we expect the hotel to have and is there room to expand that later on? Are you looking at this hotel format as something you can build upon?
Tanabe: Are you speaking of the single-player?
Single-player and multiplayer, if that’s something that you can add to later on. Is that something you want to do?
Ikebata: Right now there are 17 floors [in single-player].
Tanabe: Because like you said, it’s a hotel structure with multiple floors, I think it would have been possible to add even more floors. But, I think the hardest part of that is not necessarily the act of adding floors, but it’s like … the story is done, so by adding [more floors], how are we going to expand that aspect? Because I want to experience completing the whole hotel and just feel satisfied that it’s done. Adding on new stuff is not really something that gives us that.
What about introducing new elements in multiplayer? Now, when people design games, they don’t want others to play it, be done, and move on. Instead, they want people to keep coming back. Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate do well with additional multiplayer options. Is that something you’re thinking about with Luigi’s Mansion?
Tanabe: This is a pretty important point, but trying to continue to add onto things that are already completed keeps the development team working on that project. What we really want to do is focus on the next thing, it keeps us moving onto new things. I personally don’t have that kind of endurance.
That’s interesting to hear since much of the industry’s going the opposite direction. People spend a lot of time and money creating one thing and then they want to get as much out of it as possible to the point where it can be kind of exhausting for them and the player. What are your thoughts on that trend of people spending years and years and years making the same game? How do you feel about that from a creative standpoint?
Tanabe: Of course, we have titles like that in Nintendo too. Personally, I think there’s got to be a couple of content updates over time because it’s really fun. But I don’t feel like we need to necessarily do that with all of our titles. So, this is entirely based on my personality, but I’m someone who likes to finish something and then move on.
As a player, I like to finish a game and then move on. It’s good to hear that Luigi’s Mansion has a finishing point.
Tanabe: Of course, there are games like that for those types of people who want to keep playing that type of game, and fans like you who wants to finish a game and move on, so I think it’s great that there’s a variety of different types of games.
For sure. And moving on helps creators channel that creativity and also get their ideas flowing. Is that something that you actively encourage while making games like Luigi’s Mansion–or people to start thinking of the next thing?
Tanabe: I, myself, am like that. Even when I’m creating something I’m constantly thinking of the next thing. Even as we’re wrapping up the development of Luigi Mansion 3, Next Level Games is like, what about [Luigi’s Mansion 4]? What’s going to come after a hotel?
How do you feel about that? Where you have wrapped up [development] and you’re in the mindset of wanting to finish the game, and then someone comes along and says, “What about the fourth one?” Are you like, “Let me do something else first,” or are you like, “I’m ready, I’ve got another idea, I want to go now, let’s do the next one now?”
Tanabe: So, I personally work on multiple titles at the same time, not just one. When someone approaches me with a new idea, I have no issues. But on the other hand, if you try to make three of the same type of title, sometimes the staff will become exhausted. So, if the same team has worked on the same game three times, I try to make sure they get to work on something else.
Nintendo was a company that made games internally and was very careful about who creates its games. More recently, we’ve seen Nintendo partnering with other developers, whether it’s Japanese companies like Bandai Namco or others like Next Level Games or Retro. What’s it been like to have that shift?
Tanabe: I personally have been working since the ’90s with external companies. The one thing I always think about is not just letting anyone make our games. We always work with someone who understands the way Nintendo games are. Another reason is that now that a lot of things are in HD and the quality is very high, it’s really hard for us to just make everything on our own, so we do have to rely on other companies that understand the way things are made at Nintendo to make this together.
Do you find that these outside studios will bring in ideas that Nintendo wouldn’t think of? When that happens, how do you weigh up taking on new ideas that are unexpected with what your fans expect from a Nintendo game?
Tanabe: Nintendo traditionally doesn’t do a lot of things that are really grotesque or violent, for example. Our priority is doing something that is [uniquely] Nintendo. So, when people come up with ideas that we don’t agree with and they’re like, “In our culture, we make it like this.” We, in turn, ask them, “Have you made a Nintendo game?” I turn it around and say, “I probably know more about making a Nintendo game than you do. So, how about I tell you how to work together on this?”
